


Captains and Companions

by ashurbadaktu



Series: Chameleons and Circuits [3]
Category: Doctor Who, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-11
Updated: 2011-08-11
Packaged: 2017-10-22 12:12:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/237885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashurbadaktu/pseuds/ashurbadaktu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik and 'Charles' stop in Wales for a bit of a refuel and get an unexpected visitor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Captains and Companions

_You're practically purring_.

They'd stopped to refuel; after a rather unfortunate incident on Baydafarn a few years back, Erik had insisted on Earth and his friend had decided he knew just the spot that would do as much good for the cheerful TARDIS as it would for the kitchen's refrigerator.

 _I haven't 'eaten' for some time and the energy here is lovely._

Erik rolled his eyes a little, straightening out the turtleneck he'd pulled on to make his shopping trip.

 _You should have said if you were hungry._

 _I was still fine for some time to come. This is just pleasant timing._

 _Right. Don't do it again. Let me know next time._

His friend didn't answer, but there was a faint hum in the grating of the console room that told him that his friend would remember. He might even do as Erik had asked. Erik grunted, pleased enough with that before heading for the door.

...and nearly stumbled off the platform when he heard a knock from  _outside_

 _Who--?_

 _I don't know. I have him on the monitor._

Erik trotted back to the main console to peer at the image. There was a man there, dark hair and what looked like a RAF coat of all things. He was armed, but openly, and the gun was basic enough that Erik knew he could take care of it if he had to. Then he heard what the man was  _saying_.

"--octor! DOCTOR! Doc--"

Which was when Erik opened the door, much to the man's surprise. He recovered well enough, throwing Erik a too-bright smile that made something in Erik flutter just a little.

" _Hell_ o," the stranger said, glancing past him into the console room. He was obviously surprised by what he found, but not surprised  _enough_.

"Hello," Erik replied, his voice a little flatter than it had to be.

"You're... not the Doctor." And he was just as surprised to see an irritated expression in response to that name.

"No, I'm certainly not."

"Not a fan?"

"...we haven't met for some years, but no, he didn't exactly impress me."

"High standards, then. Good to know," and Erik had to admit that the man took it in stride rather well. He also leaned forward as if he wanted to come in, but Erik ignored the body language. He wasn't prepared to invite the man in.

The man figured that out quicker than most, turning his head curiously to look at Erik now.

"You're... not a Time Lord, are you?"

Erik's response was cool. "No, I'm not." The buttons on the man's coat vibrated with his irritation. "Is that a problem?"

The man didn't even think it over. "Not with me. I'm just kind of wondering how that works for you."

"Better than everyone seems to expect."

"And what brings you to Wales, Mr..." 

 _He's a time traveler._

 _Another Time Lord?_

 _No, he used something else. Though he's been in a TARDIS before. Probably the Doctor's._

Ugh.

 _Don't be too rude. His TARDIS is very nice._

"-kind of weird, kid," the man was finishing, which nearly had Erik throwing him out of the TARDIS much like his beloved 'Doctor'. 

"Erik. My name is Erik."

"Well, nice to meet you, Erik," he said with a little grin, content to let the young man's foul mood roll right off his back. Erik growled and, finally, turned to close the TARDIS door behind him. It would only open for him, after all.

And the man was still there, smiling at him. That smile... 

 _I believe that's attraction, Erik._

 _To a man? Ha._

 _This is the future, Erik, by some years. And he's from even farther ahead. Things are different. There's no shame in it._

 _I don't really care about shame, or what anyone thinks._

 _But?_

 _There's only one person I care about._

 _Thank you, Erik._

Why  _was_  the man still here?

"Why are you still here? I'm not your Doctor. And I don't know where he is. The last I saw of him, he was in a forest full of cybermen."

"How long ago was that?" and the stranger, who still hadn't offered  _his_  name, definitely looked more interested now.

Erik didn't care.

"I have groceries to get. And you haven't even offered your name."

Tall, dark, handsome and overly cheerful offered a hand. "Captain Jack Harkness, at your service."

Erik's eyes flickered to the man's coat. "Air Force?"

That made Harkness grin even more brightly; Erik hadn't seen so many teeth in a smile since... no, he couldn't remember a time. Then again, he wasn't used to seeing smiles so much as feeling them.

"Nope, I'm doing something else now."

"Good for you," and Erik attempted to step around him to start looking for a market. That, at least, stayed relatively the same regardless of time or place. Harkness, however, wasn't done. He tried to put his hand on Erik's shoulder, but a moment before he would have touched, his cuff links yanked his arm up and away.

"Okay,  _that_  is cool."

Erik spun on one leg, growling.

"It was years ago for me, and I don't know how long ago it was objectively. There, you have your information. Now I'd just like to go and get my groceries and be on my way, if you don't  _mind_."

He turned again, starting to walk towards what looked like a major street, unworried about the other man. Harkness couldn't get into his TARDIS, didn't know anything that mattered at this point, and he had enough metal on him that Erik could handle anything he tried. Groceries. He'd get his groceries and they could be gone to somewhere warm and pretty with an amazing sky.

...except the man was following him.

"I don't mind or anything, but I was wondering if you'd like to come back to my base. Maybe have dinner. You look old enough for drinks." 

"Not interested."

He heard a deep sigh from behind him and the man actually had the courage to try and grab him again. Erik let him, if only because he was still trying to figure out a way to make the man go  _away_  and ignoring him wasn't working. He even let Harkness turn him.

"Look, kid.  _Erik_. I'm friends with the Doctor, but we don't always see eye to eye on some things so if you've got a beef with him, I can sort of see how that might have happened. But what it comes down to is that you're interesting, you interest me, and I'd love to get to know you, maybe make friends. Could we try that? Just... make friends? It's not like there's a lot of us around. Time travelers, I mean."

 _Go, Erik. You can have other friends. I'll still be here when you get back._

 _Are you sure?_

 _People are wonders of the universe too sometimes, Erik._

 _But--_

 _I love you too, Erik. I'll be fine. Go. Have dinner._

Erik was conflicted on the thought, considering what he  _should_  do with his own curiosity. This man was another time traveler,  _not_  a Time Lord, and he seemed willing enough to accept everything Erik was with a smile and a nod. Even his friend was telling him it was okay.

"Just dinner."

He hadn't known Harkness could smile any brighter.

"And then you'll help me carry the groceries back here. Agreed?"

The strange time traveler was practically bouncing.

"Agreed!" Erik felt the unfamiliar weight of an arm on his shoulders, wrapped around, hugging him companionably. It was strange, but oddly enjoyable. He was about to keep walking when he saw Harkness pause and glance back at the TARDIS, his eyes unfocused. He was back a moment later, grinning at Erik, but Erik thought curiously at his old friend.

 _Just informing Mr. Harkness of a couple of things. Have a nice night, Erik._

 _I... think I will._

The strange man could grin all he liked, but it was the feel of his friend's warm smile in his mind that reassured him best of all.


End file.
